Jiangang Li & Jiaojiao Zhai
This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Trifolium pratense L. extract (TPE) against damage caused by propofol in the hippocampal neurons of rats. A total of fifty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups: a sham group, a TPE-supplemented group receiving 400 mg/kg of TPE, a Propofol-supplemented group receiving 50 mg/kg/h via intravenous injection, an ischemic stroke-reperfusion (IS/R) group modeled after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and two MCAO groups treated with 400 mg/kg TPE and 50 mg/kg/h Propofol, with each group consisting of ten rats. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Y- maze test, which assessed the rats' ability to navigate the maze. Rats subjected to IS/R showed a significant delay in completing the maze compared to the normal group. The MCAO group exhibited markedly increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin- 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), alongside decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) and neurotrophic growth factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). In contrast, the group treated with 400 mg/kg TPE and Propofol after IS/R showed improvements, including elevated levels of neurotrophic growth factors and a favorable alteration in the gene expression profiles of inflammatory and apoptotic markers (such as glucose- regulated protein 78 (GRP78), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6), Bcl-2, Bax, and p53) when compared to the IS/R group. These findings suggest that TPE extract may alleviate cognitive deficits following IS/R in rats, potentially through the modulation of inflammatory factors secreted by microglia.
KEY WORDS: Trifolium pretense L; Seeds oil; Inflammation; Apoptosis; Cerebral ischemic stroke -reperfusion.
LI, J. & ZHAI, J. Trifolium pratense L. extract improves propofol-induced neuroprotection via regulating GRP78/ ATF-6 and Bax- bcl2/p53 signaling in ischemic brain injury in rats. Int. J. Morphol., 43(4):1909-1919, 2025.
